Ojai Pinot Noir Puerta del Mar 2019, Santa Barbara County, California

“Puerta Del Mar is a level six-acre vineyard that presents a heady intersection of benevolent climate and soils. The vineyard is adjacent to the Santa Ynez River’s last bends before the ocean (even further west than the Sta. Rita Hills) and that influx of Pacific air up the riverbed makes for mild days here when it is warm just a short drive inland. The site rests on the confluence of that river and Salsipuedes Creek, which drains the hillsides south of Sta. Rita Hills. These deep, gravelly Mocho loam soils are strewn with calcareous (chalky) rock, making the soil chemically similar (if not structurally) to the carbonate-rich soils of Burgundy. And like much of Burgundy, this wine is subtle, enticing, and shows a powerful translucent redness in the glass. This 2019 Pinot Noir – “The texture here is substantial and weightless at once. You find a lithe entry with mushroomy minerality guiding vibrant red flavors of currant, strawberry and hibiscus, then the glossy middle segues into a spicy finish shaded with cardamom and nutmeg.” 100% Pinot Noir. 15 mmonths in French oak, 25% new.